Recording radiometer



May 30, 1933. H. L, LYON 1,911,456

RECORDING RADIOMETER Filed July 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Shet 1 *nlllkf I 6-10z .WITNESS' v 7 5 1% BY v ATTORNEY May 30, 1933. H. L. LYON RECORDINGRADIOMETER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 25, 1930 INVENTOR .HL-Lgon,

BY Z

ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented May 30, 1933 mom L. LYON, or noxommu,'rnaarromr or mwm anoonnnm mromu Application filed Jul as,

- My invention relates to improvements in radiometers whereby themovement of a light. receiving element may be used to record the amountof sunlight received upon I the element.

' An object of the present inventionis to provide a sim le device whichis positive in action and which will record the amount of sunlightreceived with suflicient accuracy as to make the device very useful.

A further object is to provide a device of the type described whichwhile being sufiiciently accurate for the p ose, is simple inconstruction and relative y inexpensive to make.

My invention is illustrated in the accompan ing drawings forming a partof this app ication, in which:

igure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig ure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1 having in addition theretoa diagrammatical recording circuit;

Figure'4 is a side elevation of a modified.

form of the device;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig-' ure 4; and Figure 6 is asection on line 6 6 of Figure 4, with the addition of a diagrammaticalrecording circuit.

In carrying out my invention I make use of what 15 known as a Franklinspulseglass, or a modification thereof. This consists of ahermetically-sealed container from which the air has been exhausted andwhich contains a volatile liquid, such as alcohol or ether together withthe vapor thereof. 4 In Figure 1 I have shown a bulb 1, which is preerably blackened in order to absorb a maximum amount of heat or radianten- -er A similar bulb 2 is connected to th bu 1 by means of the tube 3.

In Fi re 1 I have shown the tube 3 as moun on a block 4 by means ofstraps or yokes 5. The block 4 is pivotally mounted on an axle 6 inbrackets 7 carriedby the base 8. One end of the. axle 6 is prolonged 50and secured thereto is an L-shaped arm. 9.

mo. Serial Io. 410,750.

Securedto the base 8 is a back ortion 10 which supports the top 11 towhic a depending portion 12 issecured (see Figure '3). A pair offlexible contacts 13 is carned'by an insulating'bracket 14. One of thesecontacts is connected with a battery' Band the other with the coils of amagnet M. The armature A of this magnet is provided with a stylus Sarranged to engage a tape T which may be moved in any sultable manner asby clock-work (not shown).

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. Let us assume that thedevice is placed so that one of the bulbs, preferably the bulb 1, inFigure 1, is below the edge of the vmember 12 which acts as a shade forthe bulb 2 and is in' direct sunlight. In Figure 1 I have shown theliquid 'as partly fillin the bulb l0 1 while the bulb 2 is empty. ow,when the bulb 1 is heated up by the sunlight it will force the liquidthrough the tube 3 and into the bulb 2. The right hand end of the block4will then have a greater pressure on it and it will move into the dottedline position shown in Figure 1 until the block 4 enga es the stopmember 15.

The bulb 2 is now in the sunlight and the bulb 1 is in the shade. Theliquid in the bulb 2 will be heated and will be projected into the bulb1 which is now comparatively cool and this will tilt the device into itsoriginal position where the block 4 will rest against the stop 16. Thisaction vwill con.-

tinue as long as the apparatus is in position lwyhlerethe bulbs can beafl'ected by the, sung t. I

If the radiant energy reaching the bulb is considerable, the time takento heat the 90 'bulb will be less and hence the oscillations will bemore frequent.

At each movement, the circuit isclosed through the magnet M by the arm 9short circuiting the contacts 13, since each time 95 the bloc swings,this arm will wipe these contacts and due to their elasticity thecontacts will give to permit the passage of the arm. It will be evidentthat the tape.

will record the number of oscillations or movements and if the tape isdriven by the ordinary clockwork an exact indication. of

- the movements for a given period of time can be made. A

"In Figure 4 I have shown a modified form of the device. This consistsof a housing 17, and within this housing is mounted, for revolution, ablock 18 on an 'axle 19. In the present instance there are four bulbsarranged in pairs, the bulbs 20 and 21 being connected by a tube 22 andthe bulbs 23' and 24 being connected by a tube 25. In this instancethose bulbs outside of the housing are receiving sunlight and whenheated to a sufficient degree will force the liquid therein to the bulbswithin the housing, the latter being protected by the housing and beingcooler. The result is that the bulbs within the housing always have agreater quantity of liquid and therefore tend to ro- I tate the blockthus bringing the bulbs with the liquid again under the sunlight when,by the bulbs, their connectin the operation is repeated. The rapiditywith which the wheel which is constituted tubes and the block, isrotated, depen s upon the amount of sunlight coming to the bulbs in anygiven time.

- The axle 19 is prolonged and bears at its end a wiper 26 whichwillclosethe contacts 27 and actuate the magnet M to cause the armature A toengage the tape T in the manner already described. The opposite end ofthe axle 19 is also prolonged and bears a pulley 28 which may be usedfor .ceivers which is capable of heating the receivers thus it may beused as a measuring device for heat as well as light.

I claim: a

1. A radiometer comprising a pair of bulbs, a tube connecting said bulbsand containing a volatile liquid, means for mounting the tube foroscillation about an axis at right angles 'to the tube, a housing forshading the bulbs from sunlight during a portion of the oscillation, andmeans for recording the number of oscillations.

2. A radiometer comprising a pair of ,bulbs, a tube connecting saidbulbs and containing a volatile liquid means for mounting the tube foroscillation about an axis at right angles to the tube, a housing forshading either of said bulbs when the other-bulb is exposed to sunlight,and means for recording the number of oscillations.

,3. A radiometer comprising a pair of bulbs, a tube connecting saidbulbsand containing a volatile liquid, means for mounting the tube foroscillation about an axis at right v angles to the tube, a housinghaving a depending shading member for shading either of said bulbs fromsunlight when the other is exposed to the sunlight, a pair of contactscarried by the housing, an armsecured to the shaft for closing andopening said contacts, and means for recording the closing and openingof the contacts.

4. A device for measuring the amount of sunshine comprising a pair. ofbulbs, a tube connecting said bulbs and containing a volatile liquid,means for mounting the tube for oscillation about an axis at rightangles to the tube, a housing having a depending shade member forshading either of said bulbs from sunlight when the other is exposed tosunlight, a pair of contacts carried y the housing, an arm secured totheshaft for closing and opening said contacts, a magnet in-circuitwithsaid contacts, a stylus actuated by the magnet, and a tape for receivingmarks made by the stylus.

' 'HAROL'D L. LYON.

Thus the heat a

